Hospital agreement to be aired

Jeremy AlfordCapitol Correspondent

Published: Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 11:55 p.m.

BATON ROUGE — New details about public-private partnership agreements to manage three state-owned hospitals, including Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma, are expected to be announced during a special legislative meeting this week.

The House Health and Welfare Committee will begin its hearing at 9 a.m. Thursday in the State Capitol’s Committee Room 5.

The men at the epicenter of the state’s redesign have been asked to give presentations, including LSU System President William Jenkins, Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein and LSU System Executive Vice President Frank Opelka.

House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, said the informational briefing will be vital to lawmakers’ understanding of the issues facing the different regions where these changes are being made.

“We need to hear all the details, so we are prepared to act in the upcoming session,” Kleckly said, referring to the Legislature’s regular session that convenes April 8.

The medical center needed private partners because of a congressional reduction in Louisiana’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate, which ended up being the lowest in more than 25 years.

In addition to the agreements in Houma, the Interim LSU Hospital and its successor, University Medical Center in New Orleans, have agreed to partner with Louisiana Children’s Medical Center, while University Medical Center in Lafayette has formed a partnership with its neighbor, Lafayette General Medical Center.

Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, said it is an “excellent tactic” for legislative committees to maintain an interest in updates on the agreements, especially with the regular session approaching.

“There will probably be a comprehensive package proposed for all three of the hospitals for us to vote on,” he said.

Such hearings not only help bring new information to the public, Chabert added, but they also keep the pressure on the officials charged with moving the deals along.

“It’s important that we keep having these kind of committee meetings,” said Chabert, vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Chabert is also the son of the late state senator for whom the Houma medical center is named.

When the federal reductions were announced, Chabert Medical Center’s share was announced at $14.3 million, enough for administrators to threaten 245 layoffs or a quarter of the staff.

State officials say the expected investment from Ochsner and Terrebonne General means they will be leasing the medical center from the state, and some of the job cuts may likely be avoided, although employees will have to re-apply for their positions.

The extent of the investment and how it will protect health care access for the indigent and uninsured has not yet been explained in detail.

Lawmakers said they also hope to hear more this coming week about accountability, agreement receivables, the layoffs avoided and the role medical education will play in the future of these regional facilities.

Thursday’s public hearing will be overseen by House Health and Welfare Chairman Scott Simon, R-Abita Springs.

Rep. Lenar Whitney, R-Houma, is the only member of the Terrebonne-Lafourche delegation serving on the House Health and Welfare Committee.

<p>BATON ROUGE — New details about public-private partnership agreements to manage three state-owned hospitals, including Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma, are expected to be announced during a special legislative meeting this week. </p><p>The House Health and Welfare Committee will begin its hearing at 9 a.m. Thursday in the State Capitol's Committee Room 5.</p><p>The men at the epicenter of the state's redesign have been asked to give presentations, including LSU System President William Jenkins, Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein and LSU System Executive Vice President Frank Opelka.</p><p>House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, said the informational briefing will be vital to lawmakers' understanding of the issues facing the different regions where these changes are being made. </p><p>“We need to hear all the details, so we are prepared to act in the upcoming session,” Kleckly said, referring to the Legislature's regular session that convenes April 8. </p><p>In December, three public-private partnerships were announced. </p><p>Locally, Chabert Medical Center reached agreements with Ochsner Health System and Terrebonne General Medical Center.</p><p>The medical center needed private partners because of a congressional reduction in Louisiana's Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate, which ended up being the lowest in more than 25 years. </p><p>In addition to the agreements in Houma, the Interim LSU Hospital and its successor, University Medical Center in New Orleans, have agreed to partner with Louisiana Children's Medical Center, while University Medical Center in Lafayette has formed a partnership with its neighbor, Lafayette General Medical Center.</p><p>Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, said it is an “excellent tactic” for legislative committees to maintain an interest in updates on the agreements, especially with the regular session approaching.</p><p>“There will probably be a comprehensive package proposed for all three of the hospitals for us to vote on,” he said. </p><p>Such hearings not only help bring new information to the public, Chabert added, but they also keep the pressure on the officials charged with moving the deals along. </p><p>“It's important that we keep having these kind of committee meetings,” said Chabert, vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. </p><p>Chabert is also the son of the late state senator for whom the Houma medical center is named.</p><p>When the federal reductions were announced, Chabert Medical Center's share was announced at $14.3 million, enough for administrators to threaten 245 layoffs or a quarter of the staff. </p><p>State officials say the expected investment from Ochsner and Terrebonne General means they will be leasing the medical center from the state, and some of the job cuts may likely be avoided, although employees will have to re-apply for their positions. </p><p>The extent of the investment and how it will protect health care access for the indigent and uninsured has not yet been explained in detail. </p><p>Lawmakers said they also hope to hear more this coming week about accountability, agreement receivables, the layoffs avoided and the role medical education will play in the future of these regional facilities. </p><p>Thursday's public hearing will be overseen by House Health and Welfare Chairman Scott Simon, R-Abita Springs.</p><p>Rep. Lenar Whitney, R-Houma, is the only member of the Terrebonne-Lafourche delegation serving on the House Health and Welfare Committee. </p><p>Jeremy Alford can be reached at jeremy@jeremyalford.com.</p>